F&C Newsletter – October 15, 2012

October 15, 2012

North Carolina Region SCCA F&C

The Next 2 Weekends

You saw the last newsletter. This one has no bad news. OK, maybe, depending on if you’re a Flag Chief chomping at the bit for workers or a worker who can’t make one of the events and will be missing out on all the cool worker gifts and stuff. But not near as bad as last time. So don’t just look at this one…READ it.

YOU! GO HERE!

Registration is still online at Motorsportreg

NCR Worker Incentive Program information and redemption form. THIS IS IMPORTANT! Seriously. You really, REALLY don’t wanna miss out on the deadline of November 30th for “reimbursement.” Print out the form, fill it out, stuff an envelope with this & some receipts & get that sucker in the mail!

Make SUUUURE to check the weather forecast for the events you are working. Especially the 13-Hour. Anyone who has previously worked one will tell you that when the forecast says “chilly,” when the sun goes down it’s down right COLD. Prepare accordingly.

Goblins Go

VIR – October 20-21, 2012

Sign up now on MotorsportReg.  If you go to MotorsportReg.com and find the event on your own, register with the second one on the list, the first one is for drivers.  The driver’s registration page will want to know about your race car and will make you pay.  Don’t pay to drive – Flag for FREE. As always, if there’s any frustrations rising from within, don’t hesitate to send an S.O.S. to your friendly Flag Chiefs. We’re good at making things happen. (Yes, this part was in there before for anybody who didn’t READ it…next part is new).

A lil birdie has been telling us that the worker gift for Goblins is pretty darn fantastic. Yessir. Good stuff. It also said that it’s pretty well first come first serve. And…it’s not another hat. Even if you can’t make both days, you really should shoot for at least one day if you can.

Goblins weekend is also the ever amazing Prod Fest. Will there be yummy whoopie pies for our enjoyment? Of course if there are, the fewer people who come, the more whoopie pies there will be for everyone else…hmmm…

As for the logistics, the flag meeting is at the North Paddock Flag Shack @ 7:30  Sat and Sun morning.  (old news)

New news: It looks like Friday night will be a Millie’s night, Saturday night will be social, Prod Fest Fest then the after social-after Prod Fest Fest-social at the Honey Camper in the South Paddock. Knowing when to be at morning meetings is very important. Knowing where to relax after being on track all day is importanter.

 

Bob Huff Charge of the Headlight Brigade 13-Hour 

VIR – October 26-27, 2012

Ok look, here’s the deal…We’re hoping to have enough chefs (12…right now there’s 5) to cook in the contest so that all corner stations will be covered for at least one meal. Even if you don’t want to be judged, you can still become a corner worker favorite by putting your fence-side culinary skills to work. This includes all specialties, even Stewards. Please, please, please sign up and in addition let your friendly Flag Chiefs know if you are going to cook. We’d like to know ASAP in order to go ahead and plan turn assignments and such. There’s even been mention of having a chef’s conference call to help coordinate everything (expenditures/”reimbursement/monitary assistance”, transporting chefs to/from turn, transporting food to the outlying stations…). The more that can be done ahead of time, the more fun the entire weekend will be. There’s no theme, per se, however it’s been floating through the air that part of the judging may in fact be who delivered the most bang for the least buck.

There’s also the costume contest. Like with the cooking contest, even if you don’t want to participate in the contest itself, it’s always fun to dress up. For crying out loud it’s the weekend before Halloween people!

(repeated stuff)
Sign up now on MotorsportReg.  If you go to MotorsportReg.com and find the event on your own, register with the second one on the list, the first one is for drivers.  The driver’s registration page won’t get you the good food. Also make sure to mention either on your registration or drop an email or something if you want to cook & if there’s any people you’d like to be assigned to a turn with. This does play a big part in figuring out assignments so vote early & often! Oh wait…register. REGISTER early.

Don’t starve and drive – Cook and Flag.

The flag meeting for the 13 Hour is at 4pm on Friday afternoon and 8:15 on Saturday morning at the North Paddok Flag Shack.  Also this event is the same weekend as the Martinsville race, which means hotel rooms are at a premium.  Sara Snider has a few rooms blocked off at the InnKeeper at the club rate.  Contact Sara directly if you are interested.

(more new stuff)
Cooking, costumes, lots of glow stuff (guess we’ll find out if the numerous leftovers from last year still work)…come out and play! Check the weather! Historically it gets COLD when the sun goes down. Add a breeze or even wind to that. COLD! If you attended last year, bring those handy dandy orange scarves. They worked last year and thery’re so very stylish. They will match the new shirt you will get as a worker gift this go round. This tee will come in handy to help you layer. It will assist in making you more visible in the dark. It will match your scarf from last year. It will help you channel your inner Orange Man! How neat would it be for all of us to look like creamsicles? On its own it looks amazing! Plan your layering accordingly.

 

Stewards Corner

by Steve Keadle

They’ll Wish…

When I was a young kid who wore glasses I wished I didn’t have to wear glasses. Glasses were tethering, cumbersome and they needed constant adjusting and correcting. My eyes and distant vision were bad. I couldn’t read a STOP sign without my glasses. I was, for all intents and purposes, blind without my glasses.

When I got older and needed Cataract Surgery my distant vision went from poor to excellent literally over-night. That was a good thing. One summer at Roebling Road, I could almost see the numbers of the cars coming out of turn 9 from atop the berm at turn 1. Man are these ‘new eyes’ good!

When I worked F&C I used my ‘new eyes’ to make my calls to Control as accurate as possible. I learned what Control needed, car number, car location, driver condition and what was needed to get the car moved – clear and concise. I made my calls as tight as possible because that’s how the ‘old guys’ did it and I respected them – I wished that one-day I could be as good as they were.

Next thing I knew, I was accepted into the Stewards Program and once again I’m almost completely blind. Why? Because I sit in the tower listening to the corner workers making calls. I imagine the turn calling… ‘Turn 3 to Control. Car Three-Six off drivers right. Driver’s okay, but his car will need a flat tow at the end of the session.’

I know the turns. I’ve been there and worked them but I can’t see the cars or the situations. I have to turn words into a mental images. Now, I have to use my ears for my eyes. Sometimes I wish I could have my F&C prescription adjusted like old glasses.

I’ve said all that to get to this…

The calls I find most infuriating, are those for passing under yellow, abbreviated PUY. PUY calls mean I’ve got a driver who is not paying attention to the F&C folks who are my eyes. It’s like I was at the flag station waving the yellow flag and the driver just kept racing on by me. That’s dangerous folks! When a driver sees a yellow flag they’re supposed to… GCR 6.1.1.B Standing Yellow: Take care, danger, slow down, NO PASSING from the flag until past the emergency area. Waving Yellow: Great danger, slow down, be prepared to stop, NO PASSING…

The other part of these calls that I find disconcerting is that F&C folks know the Stewards want 2 witnesses on a PUY call. The F&C folks also know the Stewards will ask for a written witness statement. During a race if my eyes start to itch, I imagine it’s a corner worker not making a PUY call. I know it happens, but wish it wasn’t so, F&C folks don’t make PUY calls because only one flagger saw the pass.

So here’s the deal – If you make the PUY calls, I’ll council the drivers. If you see a driver reading the GCR to me during impound, it’ll be GCR 6.1.1.B. The drivers will learn what’s expected and know we’re watching. They’ll wish I didn’t have such good eyes and pay closer attention to our flags!

See y’all at the races…

Steve Keadle, National Steward
NCR SCCA

Flag Chief note: If you see a PUY about to occur, smack your co-worker so they can witness it too.  If you only have one witness, make the call anyway saying, “one witness”, a worker from another station could possibly be the second witness.

If you are an SCCA Worker who would like to be added to the NC Region F&C mailing list, click here to email the Flag Chiefs and let them know.

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